The Phoenix Rise of the new National Pro Grid League (NPGL) will open play August 23 at Jobing.com Arena in Glendale.

It's one of eight teams that will be playing the sport known as "Grid."

It consists of races that include things like weightlifting, gymnastics, and running.

"Grid is a co-ed combination of races that happen against two teams that race 11 times in a match against one another," said James Fitzgerald, co-owner, head coach and one of the players. "They're pretty trying to do exercises to compete against one another in those races in a match."

Each of the eight teams in the league will have 10 players, including five men and five women. At least one of the players on each team must be at least 40 years old.

Fitzgerald, who was the winner of the 2007 CrossFit Games and is considered a pioneer in the sport, said Grid is a new way to cheer on the players as they are working out.

"You can imagine taking walking and bicep curls for a certain period of time. Imagine 20 people trying to do that as fast as possible to get a score. That's pretty much what it's gone to," said Fitzgerald.

Jessica Phillips, 23, and her 31-year-old husband Brandon are two of the other players on the team.

During an appearance Saturday on KTAR's "Arizona's Morning News Weekend" show, Phillips said that she's thrilled to be on the team.

"My husband and I planned on Phoenix because they have the best coaches, all-around athletes and vision for the sport," said Phillips.

She and her husband packed up, left their home in Georgia, and came to Phoenix about two weeks after the Rise chose them in the NPGL draft in Miami.

Coming to Phoenix is just the latest event in what's been a wild year for Phillips. In the past 12 months, she's married Brandon, opened her own gym in Georgia, signed with the Rise and had a baby.

The other seven teams in the league are the New York Rhinos, the Los Angeles Reign, the Miami Surge, the D.C. Brawlers, the San Francisco Fire, the Philadelphia Founders and the Boston Iron. The Rise's first game is against the Brawlers.

Some of the league's games will be nationally televised on NBC. The regular season leads up to the NPGL's championship tournament. That will happen Oct. 1 - Oct. 3 at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas.

About the Author

Education: I was born in San
Antonio, Texas, but we moved to Phoenix when
I was one-year-old in 1957. I grew up here
and graduated from Alhambra High School and
attended Phoenix College.

Family: I am married to my wife
Rene', who is a librarian in the Washington
school district. During free time, I may be
found playing basketball in the driveway with
my son, Devin. He's also keeping me busy
with school, Little League, and playing in
chess tournaments around the Valley.

Favorite news memory: We have to go
back to October 15, 1979. I was a country
music air personality at KROP Radio in
Brawley, California, when we had a 6.7
earthquake. Thankfully, there were no deaths
and only minor injuries, but the entire
community was pretty freaked out and
listening to the station on their transistor
radios. I would not want to go through an
earthquake again, but it sure was a great
night to work in radio and see how it can
make a difference in people's lives.

First job: Working as a stringer
for 'The Arizona Republic' at high school
football games. My first real job was
flipping burgers at the old Sandy's
Hamburgers at 51st Avenue and Indian School
Road. My first radio job was as announcer at
KALJ radio in Yuma in 1977.

First concert: Doug Oldham gospel
concert in the 1970s at the old East High
School in Phoenix.

Favorite sports team: Phoenix
Roadrunners minor league hockey. My dad took
me to a game when I was in grade school, and
I was hooked. I wanted to be a radio hockey
play-by-play man. I used to take my cassette
recorder and sit up in the rafters of the
Coliseum and do play-by-play. It was great
later in life to also take my son to
Roadrunners games. Too bad the team just
folded, I'll miss them. (Going to the
Coyotes is fun, but they're not "my" team.)

Outside interests: My family and I
are active in our church - Northern Hills
Community Church in Phoenix. We enjoy going
to movies, sporting events, and like to
vacation at the Beach Cottages in the Pacific
Beach area of San Diego. And I love to play
catch, basketball, football with my son.